consequences of the wider adoption of punch card programing in the 1800s?

SealTheRealDeal

SealTheRealDeal

So there's this thing called the Jacquard machine which was used to program powered looms to make specific patterns. How widespread (as in being used in different industries) could this technology become within 1800s?

And what would be the social and economic implications of fully automated assembly lines becoming the norm at such an early date?
 
Wash

Wash

Ah, a fellow James Burke fan I see.

The Jaquard loom was a punch card operated to make weaving complex patterns easier - you still needed humans minding the looks like you did in any industrial application. This would be the case in whatever machine Jaquard punchcards are used in.

Thinking of similar bits of machinery that require skilled operators that can make mistakes; complex forgings come to mind? But not too much else, honestly; I do know that the punchcards were eventually used to automate riviting machines eventually but I can't think of too many more applications right now.
 

ComradeHuxley

Donor
There is an old discussion on that theme:

Vaucanson, Jacqaurd, and NC Machining.

I was reading a magazine at the machine shop today and it had an article about a Frenchman by the name of Jacques de Vaucanson. Apparently he was big into automatons and other gadgets, which to be honest I'm not that interested in. I was reading the article because he invented the all metal...
www.alternatehistory.com

That ventured into genuinely fascinating places. Unfortunately not much ever came out of it.
 
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